Freelancer writers get paid for results, not just showing up. So the more productive you are with your time, the more you can earn.

What are some time management and productivity hacks for writers? Keep a schedule, play some background noise or music without lyrics, have a dedicated workspace, block out your time, prepare meals in advance, and schedule out some downtime for yourself.

In this article, I’ll discuss some techniques that I’ve personally found to be effective in boosting your productivity as a writer.

Why Being More Productive As A Writer Is So Valuable

For a freelance writer or any kind of entrepreneur, time is your most valuable resource.

We all have the same number of minutes in a day. So succeeding in business is just about making the most of the time that you’ve got.

Here are some ways that I’ve found can really help you to stay productive and get as much done as possible.

Keep A Schedule

You can make your schedule in any format that you want. It’s just important that you have one.

It can be online, a document that you keep on your desktop, a physical journal, or whatever else makes the most sense to you.

Actively keep track of the work that you have to get done, different pitches that you’ve sent out, and any goals that you’re seeking to meet by the end of the day or the end of the week.

Does it take you forever to write? Then you need to read my How To Write A Blog Post or Article FAST! article!

Try Some Background Noise

If I’m sitting in my room during the day and it’s too quiet, it can actually be too distracting. I’ll hear the neighbor cutting their grass, every car door that closes, every plane that flies overhead.

Having some level of background noise in your environment can help cut down on these noises and level everything out for you.

There are background noise apps and websites that you might want to try using. They can play everything from the sounds of thunderstorms to ocean waves.

If you don’t want background noise, you can stream some music. Personally I like something fairly calm and slow-paced like some calm jazz music or chillhop. I wouldn’t recommend any music that has lyrics, as it really breaks my focus.

Try The Pomodoro Technique

The basic jist of the pomodoro technique is that you work for a 20 minute block of time, and then take a break for a few minutes. Every 3 segments or so, you can take a longer 15+ minute break. Basically you break your day out into more manageable chunks.

Have A Dedicated Workspace

I have my own office, so it’s really easy for me to get into work mode. But for you, maybe it’s just having a dedicated table in your bedroom.

Either way, I recommend having a dedicated place that you go to when it’s time to write. It can help you to get into the right headspace more easily.

If you have somewhere that you can set your computer and leave it, there’s also less resistance to getting started. If you have to set up your laptop at the kitchen table every time you want to write, it can be a hassle that prevents you from writing at all.

Block Out Writing Time

Set a specific time of the day that you write.

For me, I work best first thing after I wake up. For you it might be later in the evening.

If you work a full-time job, you may have limited time available to start writing. But you’ve got to start somewhere!

If you’re treating your freelance writing as a business, then give it the discipline that it deserves and set out time in your day for it.

Eliminate Distractions

Your phone, email, Facebook, Reddit, and dozens of other things can all be huge distractions that take away from your writing.

Put your phone in airplane mode. Turn your wifi off after your research is done if that’s what it takes. Whatever you need to do to prevent yourself from getting distracted.

To really do deep work, you need to get into the zone and fully immerse yourself in your writing for solid blocks of time.

It might seem like it only takes 30 seconds to quickly check your email, or to scroll through your Facebook feed. But it might take you minutes to remember where you left off and pick back up each time.

So when it’s time to write, just write.

Meal Prep

If you want to really maximize the time in your day, you can meal prep and then use the extra time that you’d normally be cooking to write instead.

Make yourself some easy to make or grab foods.

Have a salad in the fridge ready to go. Or have ingredients so you can quickly throw together a sandwich for lunch. Hardboil a whole container of eggs at a time for a quick snack that you can grab at any time.

If you want to really plan ahead, you can cook your meals for the entire week on Sunday and then individually box them up. Then you just have to pop them in the microwave for a few minutes when it’s time to eat.

Schedule Your Downtime

It’s important that you have some time for yourself. Otherwise you’re at risk of burning out.

So specifically schedule some time in the evening and on weekends when you won’t check your work email or write at all.

Give yourself permission to just watch Netflix, play video games, or do whatever things make you happy for a few hours.

Charging by the word allows you to maximize how much you earn as a writer. See my Should Freelance Writers Charge By The Word or The Hour? article to learn why!

Evaluate Your Whole Day

I’ve done one particular exercise that really helps to really show where you could be more productive.

It involves scheduling your entire day down to the half hour. Include everything you do in a day. Including when you eat, when you write, when you take a shower, when you take the dog for a walk. Everything.

This will show you how much downtime or wasted time you really have each day. The results may surprise you! Most of us spend at least four hours a day doing mindless things that we could be using more productively instead. Even after specifically scheduling downtime for yourself.

Conclusion

As a writer, you get paid for your writing. Most freelancers charge by the word or per piece instead of getting paid by the hour.

So the more productive you can be, the more income you can potentially earn in a day.

Scheduling and blocking out time, as well as taking steps to eliminate distractions are just a few things that you can do to really boost the amount of writing you’re able to finish in a day.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with different working routines and setups to see what works best for you.